A selection of notable records reported to us or found on iRecord. Includes older, but newly recognised vice county records. ‘The region’ is VC58, 59, 60 plus Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester. All photos are copyright of the recorder unless stated otherwise.
Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Olive-tree Pearl Moth Palpita vitrialis (Crambidae)
Recorded by: Richard Walker
Determined by: Richard Walker
Date: 16 June 2026
Site: Formby
County / VC: Merseyside (VC59)
This attractive pyralid moth is a migrant from southern Europe, where it is widespread and often common. Numbers reaching Britain vary considerably from year to year, with most records occurring along the southern coastline.
Records from the North West remain unusual, making this Formby individual a notable observation. The species is associated with olive and jasmine in its core range and is incapable of maintaining permanent populations in Britain.
Cypress Carpet Moth Thera cupressata (Geometridae)
Recorded by: Paul Round
Determined by: Paul Round
Date: 23 June 2026
Site: Tattenhall
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
The Cypress Carpet is a relatively recent colonist of many parts of Britain and has undergone a notable expansion in range during the last few decades.
Found in parks and gardens where the foodplants Monterey cypress and Leyland cypress occur.
Only a few other Cheshire records.
Diptera (Flies)
Lipsothrix nervosa (Tipulidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. This cranefly is a specialist of dead wood habitats and is considered regionally rare. Prior to this discovery, there was only a single VC60 record, made by Martin Drake at Berry’s Plantation in 2013.
Molophilus bihamatus (Limoniidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. A rarely recorded cranefly, the genus contains numerous small and often overlooked species requiring microscopic examination. Records of M. bihamatus remain scarce in the region.
Molophilus pleuralis (Limoniidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. Another scarce cranefly from Crag Bank, this species is particularly associated with habitats influenced by slightly brackish conditions.
Colobaea bifasciata (Sciomyzidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. This snail-killing fly has only one previous regional record, recorded by Darwyn Sumner at Brock Bottom in 1995. Species of Sciomyzidae are often linked to wetlands where their larvae prey on or parasitise snails.
Tetanocera fuscipennis (Sciomyzidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. Although widespread nationally, it remains infrequently recorded in the North West.
Lipara lucens (Chloropidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
This fly induces characteristic galls within reed stems. While probably under-recorded, records remain relatively uncommon in the region.
Cryptonevra flavitarsis (Chloropidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. Reared from reed stems and Lipara galls. This specimen represents only the third known North West occurrence.
Platypalpus luteolus (Hybotidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. This record appears to be the first for the region.
A member of the large genus of small Hybotidae, these tiny predatory flies can often be seen running rapidly across leaves in search of even smaller prey.
Diplotoxa messoria (Chloropidae)
Recorded by: Phil Brighton
Determined by: Phil Brighton
Date: 22 June 2026
Site: Cutacre
County / VC: Greater Manchester (VC59)
Known as the Sedge Gout Fly, this 3mm long species develops within sedges and causes characteristic swollen stem nodes.
The species is rarely recorded in the region, with only a handful of Cheshire occurrences known. Although considered widespread but local in southern Britain, it becomes much scarcer further north. Four specimens were recorded, suggesting an established local population.
Contarinia scrophulariae (Cecidomyiidae)
Recorded by: Chris Hynes
Determined by: Chris Hynes
Date: 4 June 2026
Site: Marbury Country Park
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
This gall midge develops within the flower buds of figwort (Scrophularia spp.), where the larvae induce distinctive swellings that can often be easier to find than the adult insects themselves. Considered rare or heavily under-recorded across Britain.
Phytomyza marginella (Agromyzidae)
Recorded by: Chris Hynes
Determined by: Chris Hynes
Date: 16 June 2026
Site: Marbury Country Park
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
Mines found on Nipplewort, only one other Cheshire record.
Liriomyza strigata (Agromyzidae)
Recorded by: Chris Hynes
Determined by: Chris Hynes
Date: 19 June 2026
Site: Carey Park, Northwich
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
This polyphagous leaf-mining fly utilises a wide range of host plants. Found on Nipplewort. At least one other Cheshire record.
Phytomyza rostrata (Agromyzidae)
Recorded by: Chris Hynes
Determined by: Chris Hynes
Date: 22 June 2026
Site: Dairy House Meadows, Northwich
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
Found in Yellow-rattle stems. First Cheshire record.
Blepharomyia pagana (Tachinidae)
Recorded by: Nicola Garnham
Determined by: Nicola Garnham
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. Reared from a Xestia caterpillar. This robust tachinid fly is a parasitoid of several species of moth caterpillars. Widespread but local species, usually found in older broadleaved woodland. This record is a first for VC60.
Hemiptera (True Bugs)
Chloriona unicolor (Delphacidae)
Recorded by: Keith Fowler
Determined by: Keith Fowler
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. This planthopper represents only the second VC60 record and the first since 1979.
Edwardsiana crataegi (Cicadellidae)
Recorded by: Keith Fowler
Determined by: Keith Fowler
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. Only the third VC60 record and the first since 1980.
Typically associated with Hawthorn, though also found on other trees.
Florodelphax leptosoma (Delphacidae)
Recorded by: Keith Fowler
Determined by: Keith Fowler
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. This represents only the second VC60 record. The first was also discovered at Crag Bank in 2025.
Kybos butleri (Cicadellidae)
Recorded by: Keith Fowler
Determined by: Keith Fowler
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. A first VC60 record for this willow-associated leafhopper.
Megamelodes quadrimaculata (Delphacidae)
Recorded by: Jim Cresswell
Determined by: Keith Fowler
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. A first VC60 record.
Paraliburnia clypealis (Delphacidae)
Recorded by: Jim Cresswell
Determined by: Keith Fowler
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on a Tanyptera Recording Day. Also a first VC60 record.
Sthenurus rotermundi (Miridae)
Recorded by: Chris Hynes
Determined by: Chris Hynes
Date: 6 June 2026
Site: Crewe
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
This small whitish or grey-brown bug is well camouflaged on the leaves of grey and white poplar, the host-plants. Widespread across Southern Britain.
Placochela nigripes (Miridae)
Recorded by: Chris Hynes
Determined by: Chris Hynes
Date: 7 June 2026
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
This predatory plant bug is a scarce and local species in many parts of Britain, although likely under recorded. Possible first record for the North West.
Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)
Norfolk Hawker Aeshna isoceles (Aeshnidae)
Recorded by: Pete Kinsella
Determined by: Pete Kinsella
Date: June 2026
Site: Sands Lake
County / VC: Merseyside (VC59)
Once largely confined to the Norfolk Broads and a handful of sites in south-east England, it has undergone a significant range expansion during the last two decades, with breeding populations now known from several regions well beyond its historic stronghold. Only a few other records in the North West.
Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope (Aeshnidae)
Recorded by: Pete Kinsella
Determined by: Pete Kinsella
Date: June 2026
Site: Sands Lake
County / VC: Merseyside (VC59)
Another species continuing its northward expansion. Lesser Emperor is now recorded annually in several parts of the region. Breeding is increasingly suspected at a number of sites across northern England.
Small Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma viridulum (Coenagrionidae)
Recorded by: Pete Kinsella
Determined by: Pete Kinsella
Date: June 2026
Site: Victoria Park, Southport
County / VC: Merseyside (VC59)
This damselfly has expanded rapidly since colonising Britain in 1999. It is now established at a growing number of North West sites, particularly where floating-leaved aquatic vegetation is present.
Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii (Libellulidae)
Recorded by: Pete Kinsella
Determined by: Pete Kinsella
Date: June 2026
Site: Crosby Coastal Park
County / VC: Merseyside (VC59)
An impressive count of more than 50 individuals was recorded.
A migratory dragonfly, principally to the south of Britain. Such concentrations are unusual in the North West.
Araneae (Spiders)
Mangora acalypha (Araneidae)
Recorded by: Jack Swan
Determined by: Jack Swan
Date: 15 June 2026
Site: Timbersbrook Meadow, Congleton
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
This small orb-weaving spider continues its steady expansion across Britain.
Current distribution maps show relatively few records from this part of Cheshire.
Theridiosoma gemmosum (Theridiosomatidae)
Recorded by: Dominic Best
Determined by: Dominic Best
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found on Tanyptera Recording Day. This orb-weaving spider is easily overlooked due to its small size and specialised habits. It constructs a distinctive conical web, often in damp, shaded situations close to water.
Widely distributed across Southern England. This is the species’ most northern record.
Erigone dentosa (Linyphiidae)
Recorded by: Dominic Best & Jordan-Jack Williams
Determined by: Dominic Best & Jordan-Jack Williams
Dates: 16 & 22 June 2026
Sites: Clinkham Wood LNR and Longton Brickcroft LNR
County / VC: Lancashire (VC59)
This small spider is an infrequently recorded member of the money spider family. New to VC59. A North American species that was first recorded in the UK in Cornwall in 2020. It has been found in a variety of habitats from agricultural to coastal.
More info here: www.northwestinvertebrates.org.uk/money-spider-erigone-dentosa-found-in-lancashire-and-merseyside/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” title=”https://www.northwestinvertebrates.org.uk/money-spider-erigone-dentosa-found-in-lancashire-and-merseyside/”>https://www.northwestinvertebrates.org.uk/money-spider-erigone-dentosa-found-in-lancashire-and-merseyside/
Hymenoptera (Bees, Wasps and Ants)
Monosapyga clavicornis (Sapygidae)
Recorded by: Ken Gartside
Determined by: Karen McCartney
Date: 15 June 2026
Site: Manchester City Training Ground
County / VC: Greater Manchester (VC59)
This striking sapygid wasp represents only the second known record locally, following a record near Partington in 2012.
The species is a cleptoparasite of solitary bees. Its occurrence suggests that suitable host populations are present within the area.
Syrphoctonus fissorius (Ichneumonidae)
Recorded by: Brian Little
Determined by: Brian Little
Date: 15 June 2026
Site: Manchester City Training Ground
County / VC: Greater Manchester (VC59)
A member of the Diplazontinae, observed ovipositing on Dock (Rumex) amongst colonies of aphid-attending flies.
Callitula pyrrhogaster (Platypezidae)
Recorded by: Jim Cresswell
Determined by: Jim Cresswell
Date: 5 June 2026
Site: Crag Bank
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
Found during a Tanyptera Recording Day, this tiny parasitic flightless wasp is the most northerly known record in England. The only record further north in Britain appears to be from Lower Largo, Fife, in 2004.
Large Scissor Bee Chelostoma florisomne (Megachilidae)
Recorded by: Chloe Aldridge
Determined by: Chloe Aldridge
Date: 15 June 2026
Site: Tattenhall
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
Widely recorded in England and also eastern Wales. It is associated with buttercup-rich habitats where suitable nesting sites are present. Only a few other records in Cheshire.
Coleoptera (Beetles)
Tawny Longhorn Beetle Alosterna tabacicolor (Cerambycidae)
Recorded by: Graham Clarkson
Determined by: Graham Clarkson
Date: 28 June 2026
Site: Martin Mere
County / VC: Lancashire (VC60)
This attractive longhorn beetle appears to be either a first Lancashire record or among very few county records.
Adults are typically encountered visiting flowers in sunny situations, while larvae develop in decaying broadleaved wood.
Toadflax Seeshead Weevil Rhinusa antirrhini (Curculionidae)
Recorded by: Peter Brash
Determined by: Peter Brash
Date: 24 June 2026
Site: Ince
County / VC: Cheshire (VC58)
This small weevil is closely associated with Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris).
Widespread nationally with a few scattered records in the North West.
Bruchidius imbricornis (Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)
Recorded by: Peter Brash
Determined by: Peter Brash
Date: 26 June 2026
Site: Festival Gardens, Liverpool
County / VC: Lancashire South (VC59)
New to Britain in 2012. A first for VC59.
